I Love
by WhatTheF-ckHaveYouDoneLately
Summary: Drabble series, all somewhere around 100 words each, about the things Parker loves about Sterling. Ever since he started working for the team, she's been noticing them. Inspired by drodgers89's Primeval fic "Little Things."
1. The Sound of Your Voice

**The Sound of Your Voice**

One of the things Parker begrudgingly loved about Sterling was the sound of his voice. As he leaned against the arm of the couch she was sitting on, asking Hardison something about the briefing, she was acutely aware of his nearness and of his increasingly frustrated yelling. Nate and him still butted heads on occasion. His British accent was overtop a low, husky voice, and while Parker was far from superficial when it came to men, she couldn't resist shivering at the sound of it. Especially right now, when he was agitated and his accent was more pronounced.


	2. The Way You Smell

**The Way You Smell**

One of the first things Parker did when Sterling joined the team was sniff him much like she had Maggie. It was simply what she did to outsiders. He shook her off his sleeve and raised an eyebrow at her, but she'd already figured him out. A mixture of his cologne, the fabric of his clothes, and the scent of his hair made up a natural fragrance that was just _Sterling._ She smiled at him like she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary by sniffing him like a dog.


	3. The Times When You're Fearless

**The Times When You're Fearless**

James "Jim" Sterling didn't seem to be afraid of _anything. _That much was proved when, six months after joining the team, he asked Parker to show him how to operate her equipment. She still didn't trust him and he was still pretty guarded around the team, but having someone to jump off of a roof with was just too tempting.

He was surprisingly graceful for a first-timer, and actually managed to land upright on the window sill beside her. And she may or may not have thought he looked kinda hot in a harness.


	4. You Accept Me For Who I Am

**You Accept Me For Who I Am**

Parker knew she wasn't normal. Growing up in the system had left her eggs a little scrambled, but Sterling never treated her like she was a nutcase. The rest of the team accepted her, though contrary to popular belief she wasn't blind to the looks they gave her sometimes. Sterling often told her she was insane or that she was acting like an idiot, but he was simply stating fact. At the end of the day, he accepted her and understood her instead of treating her like some kind of alien. She wished she knew how to tell him how much she appreciated it.


	5. The Way You Smile

**The Way You Smile**

It was a little bit crooked, but she loved Sterling's smile. They never would have managed this case without having an inside man with Interpol, and when Nate told Sterling as much, Parker saw the man genuinely smile for the first time since they'd met. She couldn't repress a little smile of her own, and if he caught her looking at him, he didn't mention it. He was becoming more than just a member of the team, he was becoming a member of the family. If only she could convince herself that her feelings were strictly familial...


	6. Your Arms Around Me

***Thanks so much to everyone that's reviewed this! I am so happy you like it :D Any drabble requests?**

**Your Arms Around Me**

The second case he worked with the team was a nightmare. Parker's break-in was perfect until she realized that the vault had censors they were unaware of, triggering a thin layer of ice to cover the floors. She would have went skidding and fallen face first onto the tile floor if a pair of strong arms hadn't caught her waist. Looking up, she found Sterling holding her up. His arms were stronger than you'd think for someone who'd spent most of his life in an office or doing stake-outs for IYS. They parted quickly, but not before the feel of his hands on her lower back felt much more searing than it had a right to.


	7. When You'll Follow Me Anywhere

**When You'll Follow Me Anywhere**

"Caramel chocolate!" she cried excitedly, pulling Sterling along behind her.

"Imagine that," he replied dryly. "I can't believe I came to this thing."

They'd been there for half an hour, and since no one had wanted to go with her, Sterling had surprised them all by saying he would go. She was elated to have the company even if she didn't show it. Now he was being hauled all over the Chocolate Festival, and his overworked feet only got a break when the hyper sugar addict stopped at the Belgian chocolate stand.

"Try this," she said, shoving a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

Thirty minutes down, two and a half hours to go.


	8. The Way You Say My Name

**The Way You Say My Name**

"_Parker."_

She was only vaguely aware of someone saying her name. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recalled her harness strap breaking and sending her sprawling towards the ground, her fall broken only by a thicket of bushes. It was a miracle she was even alive. But then she heard her name spoken again. When she pried her eyes open, she found herself in the backseat of Nate's car, her head on Sterling's lap and his fingers stroking through her hair absently, as if he didn't realize he was doing it. That voice she loved so much saying her name was surprisingly soothing, and she let herself fall back asleep under the steadiness of his hands.


	9. When You're Sleeping

***A little longer than usual…sorry!**

**When You're Sleeping**

They ended up sitting next to each other on the plane when the team was coming back from an out of country job, and halfway back he dozed off after staying awake for over forty-eight hours. She played with the lock picking set she'd snuck onto the plane for fun, but eventually that got boring since she didn't actually have a lock to pick. Sighing, she looked over at the man next to her, whose head had ended up on her shoulder at some point. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted, and his breathing was slow and even. It was the first time she'd really seen him at peace, he was always alert and ready for anything. She quickly looked away, realizing she was staring. What was happening to her?


	10. The Way You Protect Me

***Thanks so much to Rayhne for this drabble idea! Hope it doesn't disappoint you :D**

**The Way You Protect Me**

Parker didn't need protecting. She was a born fighter, but there were some lines that you just don't cross…and Elliot crossed one.

"That stunt you pulled almost got us caught! Just because you grew up in the system doesn't give you a free pass to do whatever the hell you want."

Now _that _hurt. It was the one thing she never thought he would use against her. Tears came to her eyes as she backed away from him, and then Sterling was there, throwing Elliot into the wall in a blind rage.

Sterling's voice was a low growl when he said, "Don't you _ever _say something like that to her again, understand?"

She smiled through her tears…maybe she wasn't alone after all.


	11. The Way You Move

_***Again, thanks to Rayne for the prompt! Also thank you very much to the anonymous reviewers that I can't reply to :-)**** I know this seems one-sided, but it's going somewhere, promise! Oh and by the way, it's not much, but there is a Parker/Sterling manip on my profile for this story. If you get bored and wanna check it out, just click the hyperlinked title of the fic :D**_

_**Thanks so much for the support everyone!***_

**The Way You Move**

"Alright Sterling, Parker, head for the stairs," Nate said over the comms.

They set off across the lobby of the building they were infiltrating, Sterling walking slightly ahead of her. She flicked her eyes up and down the length of his body, taking an odd (well, for her nothing is odd) fascination in the way he moved. He was of fairly average build, but he moved lithely and purposefully, carrying himself as if he owned every establishment he walked into. Despite their difference in stature, they made quick work of reaching the top of the staircase, his body staying in synch with hers without a problem. She smiled, thinking that he had the gait of a thief…and the body of a lover.


	12. Your Sense of Humor

**Your Sense of Humor**

"I can get us in," Parker told Nate as they went over plans to break into a vault.

Sterling scoffed. "Okay so what, we just bust down the door, ask the guards to hold on a tic while we rob them blind, and maybe do a foxtrot while we're at it?

Parker laughed whilst Nate, Elliot, and Sophie all glared at their new cynical team member. When they turned their glares to her, she looked at them confusedly. "What? It was funny…"

Once the other team members weren't looking, Sterling smiled at Parker, and she made a face behind Nate's back. There was a growing sense of closeness between them, and she was still unaware of how to handle it.


	13. The Way You Look At Me

***Longer than usual again, sorry! Another prompt from Rayne, though this one didn't turn out very well :|**

**The Way You Look At Me**

The lavender dress was short, low cut, and clung to every curve of her body. Parker hated it. It was one of the rare times she had to go undercover, and it never got any more likeable. However, when she came downstairs from changing in Nate's bathroom, Sterling turned from the briefing. His eyes traveled every inch of her exposed skin before finally returning to her face.

"Parker, you look…"

She crossed her arms. "Awful? Dreadful? Any other words I thought of when I saw myself in the mirror?"

"I was thinking sexy as hell."

When the pair left (it seemed they worked undercover together better than anyone else, excluding their grifter), Nate turned to Sophie with an amused expression. "Did Hell just freeze over or was Parker blushing?"


	14. How We Dance

**How We Dance**

There was a man on the dance floor's wallet she needed to lift, so she took Sterling by the hand and drug him out, telling him he needed to dance with her. By now he was used to her weirdness, so he simply put a hand on her waist and eased her into a waltz, picking her up and balancing her feet on the top of his own when she found herself unable to keep up with the steps. He spun her out once, and when he pulled her back in she tucked the wallet they needed into the pocket of Sterling's jacket. She tried to ignore how close their faces were, how his body felt against hers.

Mission (and some waltzing) accomplished.


	15. That You're Not Going To Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

**Shame I have to ruin the word count with an A/N, it was exactly 100 words :P Oh well...*shrugs* First I would like to say thanks so much to all of my amazing supporters! I figured I would post this and it would just kinda be there and people would look at the Leverage archives and go "Oh, there's that chick with the Parker/Sterling drabbles again..." and move on, but nope, I actually have reviewers! Thank you so very much :D**

**And a note to my wonderful, faithful, anonymous reviewer "christian": Already working on that prompt you gave me! Thanks for all your reviews, wish you had an account so I could reply to them lol.**

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><p><strong>That You're Not Going To Leave Me<strong>

It took over a year for her to get it through her impressively thick skull, but she finally realized that fear as she might and as many snarky comments as he might make, Sterling wasn't going anywhere. He told her as much. No one had ever said that to her before, and when he did she actually found herself tearing up. He asked what was wrong, prompting her to shake her head quickly, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"You're the first person to ever say that to me."


	16. Your Daughter

***I have some OMG-tastic news! The incredible Rayhne has written a spinoff series of these called "I Love II," same concept but told from Sterling's POV :-)**** Link is on my profile!**

**Your Daughter**

Olivia Sterling was a firecracker just like her father, and got along surprisingly well with Parker. She was smart, witty, and confident. A young woman well on her way to becoming the same kind of extraordinary person her father was. She even invited Parker to their house, and the socially inept young woman was amazed how comfortable she felt that night as they piled up in the living room to watch a movie. Olivia fell asleep snuggling up against Sterling's left side, and Parker dozed off against his right shoulder. It was unnerving how much she felt like this wasn't just a family…it felt like _her_ family.


	17. When You're Jealous

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the A/Ns, people! They're necessary, believe it or not :P Anyways, this is to the anonymous "christian." First of all my fine friend, you should get an account so I can thank you with PMs and virtual cookies XD Second, this is a reply to your review. Thanks so much for your continuously epic feedback! And in response to your question, congrats on getting your first prompt! To me the idea of a prompt is sticking to it as closely as possible (though of course there is only so much you can do if it's extremely vague) but if your muse runs away with the idea, then just see where it takes you :D As long as the heart of the prompt is in there, go for it! This is just my advice of course, I don't get many prompts myself lol :P**

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><p><strong>When You're Jealous<strong>

Sterling leaned against the bar, watching Parker and Hardison sit at a booth. She laughed at something her friend said. Also, she was not oblivious to the heavy stare boring into her back. Even though they were nothing "official" exactly, Sterling had grown endearingly possessive over her, glaring daggers and spitting venom at any man that looked at her in what he considered the wrong way.

"Don't you have computers to be hacking?" Sterling snapped at Hardison, walking over and putting his hand pointedly on Parker's shoulder.

"What pretty boy, scared of me puttin' the moves on your girl?" Hardison replied condescendingly. Their relationship had been strained ever since they realized their mutual affections for Parker.

Parker smiled and looked between them with a happy sigh. "My boys."


	18. Your Kiss

***Hope this isn't too anticlimactic! And christian, you should totally set up an account.**

**Your Kiss**

They'd just gotten back from one hell of a high risk, adrenaline fueled job when it happened. Parker grabbed Sterling by the lapels of his jacket and pushed him against the wall, kissing him hard and deep. It was a surprise, but certainly not an unpleasant one. His hand tangled in her hair, his other going around her waist. After all the building tension, after all the "almost" moments, it felt like Parker had imagined it would only ten times better. They were so wrapped up in each other (literally) that they didn't even notice the entire rest of the team staring at them.


	19. Your Eyes

***Lol, no need to apologize christian, I don't mind conversing via A/N haha :P**

**Your Eyes**

Parker stared up into his dark, fathomless brown eyes, figuratively losing herself in them. They were framed by long eyelashes and met her gaze steadily. She tried to look away but only came to the realization that she couldn't. His gaze had hers locked and she was helpless to it. She'd begun feeling things for him quite some time ago, feelings she'd never had nor had she ever known before meeting the cunning, allusively sexy Jim Sterling. Now as she looked in his eyes, she saw reflected there what she already was already certain of…there was no turning back now.


	20. Your Tattoos

***Inspired by Mark Sheppard actually having tattoos! And christian, send whatever prompts my way that you want to (:**

**Your Tattoos**

Deep in the woods, isolated from the rest of the team, Parker winced as she took note of the wound on Sterling's chest. His suit jacket and tie already lay on the ground beside them, so she hastened to unbutton his shirt and push it down his shoulders. Thankfully the wound wasn't very deep. Then she noticed the dragon tattoos inked into his skin. Three of them; one on each shoulder and one on his chest.

As outspoken as ever, she brushed her knuckles over the one adorning his chest and murmured, "They're beautiful."


	21. When You're Drunk

***Sorry for the late update peoples! And christian, thank you for your reviews on this and Moments Like These :-)**

**When You're Drunk**

Sterling stumbled in, bracing his hand on the wall for balance. "Tonight has been…very interesting…I've made excellent friends with this bloke called Scotch…" he babbled. "And you look dashing, my darling…"

Noting his faltering steps and slurred speech, Parker grinned and wrapped an arm around his waist, lowering him to the couch. He began dozing almost immediately, his hand catching hers as she turned to walk away. She heard some slurred word or another that sounded vaguely like a request for her to stay. Smiling, she settled next to him on the couch, promising she wasn't going anywhere. He fell asleep within moments.


	22. When You Control Me

**When You Control Me**

Sterling threw Parker into the wall, grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head. She writhed and aimed a kick at his genitals, but he swiftly used his own leg to hold hers down. He was furious with her for the insane risk she'd taken earlier, terrified at the thought of losing her. They both knew she could handle the rough treatment…and they both knew that deep down, nestled in a crevice of herself she'd never had the chance to explore, that she enjoyed it. She breathed heavily, staring unblinkingly up into his rage darkened eyes. Parker supposed she tell herself she wasn't affected, but her body's reaction gave away to both of them just how much of a lie that would be.


	23. Our Photograph

**Our Photograph**

Parker sat in the van with Hardison, smiling down at the photograph she carried around in her pocket. It was of her and Sterling, and he wore one of his rare genuine smiles. Their arms were around each other, her still in her harness and him holding out a small digital camera to take the picture. She smiled fondly as her finger trailed over its glossy surface.

Somewhat dejectedly, Hardison noticed her staring at it and asked the question she was terrified of hearing. He didn't sound particularly angry or judgmental, just defeated. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

She was silent.


	24. That You're a Gentleman

***I poked her to write more for you, christian (:**

**That You're a Gentleman**

Sterling understood Parker better than anyone else, so he never pressured her to go on a date because he knew how uncomfortable she'd be. But that didn't stop him from being, despite his sarcastic comments and blunt attitude, a perfect gentleman. She loved how she pulled out chairs for her, opened doors, and helped her in and out of her jacket no matter how many times she insisted she didn't need him to. He even stood when she walked into the room. The first time that happened Nate raised an eyebrow at his ex coworker, but when Sophie walked in and cleared her throat pointedly, Nate glared at Sterling for starting it and stood up as well. Parker just smiled.


	25. How You Throw

***Aww, christian, you are one of the most epic reviewers ever :D Since you know how deeply I appreciate your feedback I probably won't reply via A/N unless it's a direct question so these aren't so abnormally long haha. And here is a drabble inspired by a hobby I've taken up!**

**How You Throw**

Elliot taught her, so Parker decided she would in turn teach Sterling something she'd grown to enjoy as a self defense method nearly as unorthodox as she was. Knife throwing. They stood in the warehouse she called home, a large wooden target nailed into the wall. He'd protested that he preferred guns, but she held up a throwing knife, took aim, and he promptly shut up. Now she put him in position about six feet away from the target, sliding the dull pointed knife into his hands. She took his right hand and slid it around the handle, putting his finger over the spine of the knife.

"Pull it back like so…" she instructed, her body against his back as she pulled his arm into the correct stance.

He tried, he really did, but it was rather hard with her pressed up against him like that.


	26. That You Survived Archie

***Inspired by a prompt from my lovely sister, drodgers89 :D And sorry, this one is waaaay too long…**

**That You Survived Archie**

The team ran into Archie during a case, and as soon as he found out Parker had finally opened herself up to someone and saw the uncharacteristically trusting gleam in her eye when she looked at the dark haired man next to her, he started to back Sterling to the wall with a hard warning glare. And Sterling being Sterling didn't budge an inch.

Archie fixed him with a stare as cold as a glacier. "What exactly are your intentions with Parker?"

"Personal space, mate. And I'm not going to hurt her. I would die first." Sterling answered the unspoken question.

Parker sighed and looked between the two narrow-eyed males. "Sterling, meet Archie. Archie, meet Sterling. Sterling, Archie's kind of like a dad so don't shoot him or stab him, I don't wanna have to kill you…" Her boyfriend (the term still felt foreign on her tongue) had gotten worriedly good at knife throwing.

Ignoring Parker, they glared each other down for several long moments before Archie relented and backed off. Sterling watched the man leave, clearly assuming he'd won with no idea that Archie'd be keeping a close eye on them. Parker could only grin.


	27. You

***Sorry for the late update guys! And christian, can't wait for your prompts XD**

**You**

The sound of a gunshot was so much louder to Parker than it was to anyone else. She heard it over the comms, and her heart literally may have stopped beating for a second. Nate warned her not to blow their cover and that he would get to Sterling, but she was already running.

"_Sterling_!" she yelled.

She found him laying on the ground, a bullet wound in his chest bleeding profusely onto the cement of the parking lot.

Then, realizing she may not ever have another chance to say it, she tried to whisper through her tears the words she had spent her entire life afraid of saying to someone.

"I, I...Sterling, damn it, I…I'm sorry, I can't," she said, choking back a sob. "I'm scared to…I wish I could say it but I just...I...can't…"

His voice weak and raspy, he said, "I already know, Parker…you don't have to say it."


	28. That You Came Back To Me

***I know, I know, another late update :\ But damn it, school is kicking me in the ass.**

**That You Came Back To Me**

Parker was only vaguely aware of a hand stroking through her hair. She blinked, dazed from sleep, only to look up and see familiar dark eyes staring back at her. She'd fallen asleep in the chair, her head on the side of Sterling's hospital bed. He'd been unconscious for the better part of the week. She had refused to leave his side every time another member of the team offered to take her home; she had to wait on him, no matter how many times she heard the doctors say how low his chances were. Yet there he was, face pale and gaunt but eyes clear as he smiled at her.

"Long time no see, darling."


	29. Our First Halloween Together

***Happy Halloween everyone! And to christian and Taylor: I will most certainly fulfill your prompt, but I do have a couple of questions, so is there any way one of you can please set up an account here so we can PM chat about the story?**

**Our First Halloween Together**

Sterling, having been out of the hospital for just over a month, was sitting on the couch in Nate's apartment when Parker dropped down from the ceiling and landed on top of him with a happy grin. Not that said grin could be seen thanks to her ninja costume since it covered everything but her blue eyes, which sparkled with mirth. The team was leaving for a Halloween party she'd talked them into in half an hour. Had it not been for a lot of pleading and threatening to stab him between the legs with a letter opener, she probably never would have gotten him into the James Bond costume he sported.

Smiling, she grabbed his hand and yelled up the stairs, "Come on guys, get a move on! If we miss out on all the good candy I'm holding you personally responsible!"

Upstairs, Elliot muttered sarcastically, "I'm terrified."


	30. How You Touch Me

***So, SO SORRY for the late update! My Leverage muse is X_X Oh, and christian, your replies are now in the reviews section :-)**

**How You Touch Me**

Parker was a woman that knew what - or perhaps more accurately, _who _- she wanted in life. Hence she had no issues going after it with reckless abandon. So it didn't come as much of a surprise to Sterling when she pushed him down on the couch, shucking her shirt to reveal a lacy black bra. She straddled his waist and kissed him long and hard, his hands sliding into the soft locks of her long, blond hair. She later lost herself, forgot what it was to think, couldn't even form a coherent thought as he learnt every curve and crevice of her body. His touch was strong just as she craved it to be. And that night she met him strength for strength, a never ending war for dominance.


	31. You First Thing In The Morning

**You First Thing In The Morning**

Parker sat cross legged on the end of the bed, giggling as Sterling pulled himself into a sitting position. He looked like an exhausted cockatoo. His short hair was sticking up in some directions that downright defied physics, and he looked like he could more than happily fall back down on his pillow and go to sleep again. But there was work to do. She was already dressed and ready, something that made him groan and bury his head under the pillow. Though after some persistent poking of his foot, he finally drug himself out of bed and into the bathroom to take a shower. It was a morning ritual she could get used to.


	32. That I Can Finally Say It

**A/N: *ducks and covers* I know, I KNOW! Unforgivably long time since I updated. My muse for this has been dead as a doornail, hence why this is the final chapter and longer than the others. I will always love P/S but right now my muse just won't allow me to write het, sorry! Thank you so much to everyone that has read, reviewed, and supported this fic! All of my…well, may sound odd with what this whole story has been about, but all of my love!**

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><p><strong>That I Can Finally Say It<strong>

It had been a long week for Parker and Sterling. They'd had yet another job on Christmas, but it had ended with him giving her the most amazing present in the world. Money from - wait for it, wait for it!- the _White House. _Oh yes, her boyfriend was that incredible. Then came New Years. The team sat on the roof of Nathan's bar/apartment and watched the fireworks, Parker tucked into Sterling's arms. They kissed when the people below shouted "One!" at the end of the countdown. Now, on the fourth day of the new year, they had finally caught a break. Nate declared a holiday until the following week. Lord knows they all needed it.

Parker thought of all the things she loved about Sterling. From that first day she realized she was hanging on the sound of his voice to giggling at his James Bond costume. There were so many of these traits she had lost track. But laying with him on the couch, doing nothing special, she realized there was one thing out of all of them she loved then the entirety of them combined. It shocked her that this came to her while doing something as mundane as watching a movie. She turned, laying on her back to look up at him. Propped on one elbow, he toyed with a strand of her hair. When she finally said it, a thousand tons lifted from her shoulders. The words had been there the entire time, because while thinking she loved his hair, loved how he danced, loved how he touched her, she had been too afraid to say what they had all been leading to. Now she could. She finally spoke the words she had been too scared to when Sterling was shot.

"I love you."


End file.
